Tag Archives: news

Moonbug appoints Marisela Escobedo as Senior Territory Manager LATAM

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Moonbug Entertainment has announced the appointment of Marisela Escobedo as Senior Territory Manager LATAM.

In this newly created role, Escobedo will be managing the licensing business across all Moonbug properties, including Blippi, CoComelon and Little Baby Bum in the Latin American region. Escobedo started her new role on 23 March and is based in Los Angeles.

Prior to working at Moonbug, Escobedo was Senior Manager Consumer Products and Regional FMCG Latin America at NBCUniversal. In her nine years at the company, she helped grow the consumer products group and went from working globally to specialising in territories including Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Escobedo says: “I am beyond excited to continue my career growth with Moonbug Entertainment. I am proud to represent an organisation that values at its core compassion, empathy and resilience. I am looking forward to breaking barriers, innovating and contributing positive changes to the way we work in the licensing industry in Latin America, with a company that is truly changing the game in children’s content and entertainment.”

Adam Steel, Director, Global Agency, Consumer Products at Moonbug Entertainment, adds: “Our business across Latin America continues to grow at a phenomenal rate and we are pleased to add a dedicated Country Manager into the Global Agent Management Team.

“Having worked with Marisela for many years, I immediately knew that she would be a perfect fit to lead our business and I’m delighted to be working with such a talented and experienced professional. Marisela’s experience in the region will help us continue to grow our brands while providing great service for our retailers, licensees and partners.”

Moonbug specialises in creating and acquiring IP and turning it into global entertainment franchises, by rapidly scaling the brand using data to increase and enhance the content, distribute broadly across Moonbug’s vast global distribution network, and creating new avenues for interaction through licensing and merchandising, original productions, and brand partnerships.

For more information on Moonbug, visit www.moonbug.com.

WarnerMedia to broadcast Brave Bunnies in 20 new territories

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Glowberry, the Ukrainian creator of popular kids’ series Brave Bunnies, has announced a licensing agreement with WarnerMedia to broadcast the series in 20 territories across Southeast Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

The deal was secured for Glowberry by its exclusive content distribution partner, Aardman, who have been leading the charge for Brave Bunnies with tier-one broadcasters around the world.

The series will premiere on the Cartoonito pre-school programming block available daily on Cartoon Network, which launched on March 28 in Southeast Asia, and will debut in Australia and New Zealand in July.

The series will also be available to stream in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong on HBO GO. This latest deal strengthens the relationship with WarnerMedia as Brave Bunnies was also acquired by HBO Max for LATAM. The series will premiere mid-2022.

Olga Cherepanova, author and creative producer of Brave Bunnies, says: “We are delighted that a show we have been working on so passionately has been expanding so fast. I’m happy that alongside WarnerMedia we will reach a new audience in APAC. Our partner Aardman continues to do a great job signing up the best broadcast partners for our bunnies.”

Robin Gladman, Head of Acquisitions at Aardman, comments: “It’s a great pleasure to be working with our friends at Glowberry, to help bring Brave Bunnies to the world. The team from Ukraine are constantly in our thoughts in their current plight. Friendship and diversity sit at the core of this fabulous show, these messages are more important now than ever, and we are thrilled Warner have decided to come on board across so many territories.”

Raphaelle Mathieu promoted to EVP, Cyber Group Studios

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Cyber Group Studios has announced that Raphaelle Mathieu, formerly Senior Vice President Sales, Digital and Acquisitions, has been promoted to the newly created position of Executive Vice President.

Already a member of the management board, Mathieu, in her new capacity, will oversee all commercial activities of the company worldwide and work with Chairman and CEO Pierre Sissmann and COO Dominique Bourse on defining the overall strategic areas of growth for Cyber Group Studios, including sales, digital, and licensing. 

“As the company is now developing into an international group comprised of many talented companies and executives worldwide, I am very pleased to have Raphaelle take more responsibilities in coordinating our overall commercial activities and finding synergies worldwide to grow our overall business,” says Pierre Sissmann, Chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios.

 

WarnerMedia’s preschool brand Cartoonito makes Asian debut

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Cartoonito, WarnerMedia’s preschool brand, has made its Asian debut. The brand launched as a dedicated morning programming block on Cartoon Network in Japan on March 1 and in Southeast Asia and Korea today (March 28). It offers a modern approach to preschool programming, built to support each child’s unique potential with its educational framework called “Humancentric Learning”.

Tentpole shows in Southeast Asia and Korea include Lucas the Spider, Dino Ranch, Monchhichi and Esme & Roy. These sit alongside a growing slate of new and library series in a line-up that celebrates individuality and originality, while championing creativity, compassion and inclusion. These shows will also sit in a dedicated Cartoonito programming rail on the regional streaming service HBO GO in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. A launch event is scheduled in Singapore in April.

In Japan, the line-up includes Thomas and Friends, Pingu, and Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. Celebrity singer Kaela Kimura sings the theme song during the daily block. Cartoonito will launch in Australia and New Zealand in early July, and in South Asia later in the year.

Leslie Lee, Head of Kids for WarnerMedia in Asia Pacific, says: “When we introduced Cartoon Network’s new brand promise ‘Redraw Your World’ earlier this year, the channel shifted to become more inclusive to boys and girls. Now with Cartoonito, our demos are even wider – creating a safe environment for even younger children to enjoy every morning with their parents and caregivers. While the content and on-air packaging are extremely appealing to youngsters, it is how the block is carefully curated and programmed which makes it stand out.”

All Cartoonito shows follow a curriculum designed by early childhood education expert Dr Laura Brown to support the four pillars of Humancentric Learning: Creativity, Caring, Curiosity and Courage. The brand aims to inspire kids to use their imagination, to learn from their mistakes and to treat others with empathy and respect.

For example, in CGI-animated, Lucas the Spider (Fresh TV in association with WexWorks Media with CAKE) curious jumping spider, Lucas, frequently demonstrates characteristics of all four pillars in his many adventures.

This follows the launch of Cartoonito in the US in September 2021 on Cartoon Network and HBO Max, and in EMEA in February 2022.

 

WarnerMedia’s preschool brand Cartoonito makes Asian debut

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Cartoonito, WarnerMedia’s preschool brand, has made its Asian debut. The brand launched as a dedicated morning programming block on Cartoon Network in Japan on March 1 and in Southeast Asia and Korea today (March 28). It offers a modern approach to preschool programming, built to support each child’s unique potential with its educational framework called “Humancentric Learning”.

Tentpole shows in Southeast Asia and Korea include Lucas the Spider, Dino Ranch, Monchhichi and Esme & Roy. These sit alongside a growing slate of new and library series in a line-up that celebrates individuality and originality, while championing creativity, compassion and inclusion. These shows will also sit in a dedicated Cartoonito programming rail on the regional streaming service HBO GO in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. A launch event is scheduled in Singapore in April.

In Japan, the line-up includes Thomas and Friends, Pingu, and Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. Celebrity singer Kaela Kimura sings the theme song during the daily block. Cartoonito will launch in Australia and New Zealand in early July, and in South Asia later in the year.

Leslie Lee, Head of Kids for WarnerMedia in Asia Pacific, says: “When we introduced Cartoon Network’s new brand promise ‘Redraw Your World’ earlier this year, the channel shifted to become more inclusive to boys and girls. Now with Cartoonito, our demos are even wider – creating a safe environment for even younger children to enjoy every morning with their parents and caregivers. While the content and on-air packaging are extremely appealing to youngsters, it is how the block is carefully curated and programmed which makes it stand out.”

All Cartoonito shows follow a curriculum designed by early childhood education expert Dr Laura Brown to support the four pillars of Humancentric Learning: Creativity, Caring, Curiosity and Courage. The brand aims to inspire kids to use their imagination, to learn from their mistakes and to treat others with empathy and respect.

For example, in CGI-animated, Lucas the Spider (Fresh TV in association with WexWorks Media with CAKE) curious jumping spider, Lucas, frequently demonstrates characteristics of all four pillars in his many adventures.

This follows the launch of Cartoonito in the US in September 2021 on Cartoon Network and HBO Max, and in EMEA in February 2022.

 

Thomas & Friends autism-friendly clothing to launch on Character.com

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The Thomas & Friends brand team in the UK are working with the National Autistic Society and Character.com to develop an autism-friendly range of clothing featuring Thomas & Friends.

Some autistic children are highly sensitive to the feel and colour of certain materials, to the extent that some clothing is unpleasant or even painful to wear. This range has been developed in collaboration with the National Autistic Society, who conducted research with families of autistic children and ran focus groups at the charity’s Helen Allison School in Kent.

Parents involved in the focus groups said that their children preferred softer fabric. Over half of parents who responded to the National Autistic Society’s survey said that there are fabrics their children will not wear, as well as specific colour preferences and ease of dressing requirements and needs.

In April 2021, the National Autistic Society conducted a survey* of over 1,500 parents whose autistic children are under the age of 16. According to the results of the survey, the biggest considerations in choosing clothing are:

  1. Pull-on clothing
  2. Easy dressing clothing
  3. No labels
  4. No buttons
  5. Velcro fastenings

The new clothing range, designed with these insights in mind, includes loose-fitting t-shirts, jumpers and tracksuits, all in soft fabrics and designed for ease of dressing. The National Autistic Society then ran two focus groups at their Helen Allison School in October 2021, where autistic pupils tried the clothes over the weekend and shared their feedback. Following reports that many autistic children ‘retain the love for the [Thomas & Friends] brand beyond the core age’, the range has been designed for fans aged from 3 to 16 years.

The range launches on Character.com during World Autism Acceptance Week on 2 April 2022.

Peter Watt, Director of National Programmes at the National Autistic Society, says: “We are delighted to be partnering with Thomas & Friends and Character.com to create such an important range of clothing for autistic children and teens.

“Parents and autistic young people often tell us how sensory sensitivities can mean that children on the autism spectrum struggle with certain clothes. For some, a label on a t-shirt, a prominent seam, or certain fabrics could be incredibly itchy, distracting or even physically painful. Finding the right clothing can make shopping difficult, time consuming and stressful. So, it’s really great to have the chance to develop this autism-friendly collection.”

“Thomas & Friends is an inclusive brand which invites all of our fans to celebrate friendship,” says Claudia Caron, Thomas & Friends Marketing Manager. “We are very proud to be supporting our Thomas & Friends community of autistic fans through our partnership with our friends at the National Autistic Society to offer more choices and accessible clothing based on what mums and dads of autistic children have told us they want to see.”

Karen Hewitt, Co-Founder of Character.com, adds: “At Character.com, we value charitable relationships and responding to our customers’ needs. As a result, we are thrilled to introduce this Thomas & Friends range, which Mattel developed in collaboration with the National Autistic Society. The Character.com team are delighted to be selling a range that is unique to the industry and provides our consumers with exactly what they need. We are thrilled to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause, and we hope that this is the start of many such initiatives from Character.com.”

To find out more about autism or the the National Autistic Society, visit org.uk

*Survey commissioned by Mattel and run by the National Autism Society, April 2021.

Rovio teams with SONIC Drive-In for Angry Birds promotion

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Rovio Entertainment has teamed up again with SONIC Drive-In, the quick-service restaurant chain owned by Inspire Brands, to bring Angry Birds toys to its Wacky Pack kids meals, in a deal brokered by IMG.

The partnership is part of a consumer products programme celebrating the popular entertainment franchise’s first long-format series, Angry Birds: Summer Madness.

From March 28 to May 1, 2022, Sonic guests can collect eight different Angry Birds toys in their Wacky Pack kid’s meals. Available across the more than 3,500 SONIC Drive-In locations in the US, the toys all have unique features such as whistling, wobbling and face-changing effects.

“We are so excited to be partnering up once again with SONIC Drive-In, this time in celebration of Angry Birds: Summer Madness. The new range of collectable premiums brings all the fun and humour of our latest series to life in a new way,” says Katri Chacona, Director of Brand Licensing at Rovio Entertainment.

Angry Birds: Summer Madness sees sparks and feathers fly when a teenage Red, Chuck, Bomb and Stella spend a wild summer together with other Angry Birds at Camp Splinterwood.

 

Funko announces collab with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team

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Funko has announced a collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Pop! vinyls of seven-time World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton and his former teammate, ten-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas, have been launched to coincide with the start of the 2022 F1 season, and come decked out in their 2021 custom race overalls and detailed caps displaying the Mercedes logo. 

Hamilton and Bottas were teammates for five seasons from 2017 to 2021, winning the World Constructors’ Championship during each of those seasons. For four of those five seasons, Hamilton also won the World Drivers’ Championship.

The new Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Botas Funko Pop! figures retail at £12/€15.

 

 

Funko announces collab with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team

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Funko has announced a collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Pop! vinyls of seven-time World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton and his former teammate, ten-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas, have been launched to coincide with the start of the 2022 F1 season, and come decked out in their 2021 custom race overalls and detailed caps displaying the Mercedes logo. 

Hamilton and Bottas were teammates for five seasons from 2017 to 2021, winning the World Constructors’ Championship during each of those seasons. For four of those five seasons, Hamilton also won the World Drivers’ Championship.

The new Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Botas Funko Pop! figures retail at £12/€15.

 

 

Maya the Bee: the new Danone water bottles star

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DeAPlaneta Entertainment has closed a licensing deal with Aguas Danone, S.A. for the launch of two Font Vella Kids water bottle collections in Spain and Portugal. The collections are specially designed for children and feature iconic character Maya the Bee.

Both Font Vella collections include two different Maya the Bee products featuring a range of unique character designs from the series for parents and children to collect: four (33 cl) mineral water bottles are designed in the shape of the characters and a further six designs come with the iconic Font Vella Kids sports bottle top to avoid spills. The bottles are already on sale in supermarkets and include fun activities to make drinking water more fun for kids. Making sure children develop healthy drinking habits has always been a priority for Danone, and the brand’s latest formats, including Font Vella Kids and Lanjarón Kids, are especially designed to promote hydration.

DeaPlaneta Entertainment acts as licensing agent for several brands from Studio 100 Media, including Maya the Bee, which represents strong values including respect for the environment, taking care of nature, bio-diversity, freedom and friendship. Maya is one of the best-known IPs for children in Europe, hitting a multi-generational target. Brands continue to rely on her as the perfect ambassador for organic and natural products, and for CSR activities and awareness-raising campaigns that teach children about the importance of saving the bees.